Investigation at Tiddenfoot in Linslade over claims 4 staff were injured after being forced to move heavy pool cover

Linslade’s Tiddenfoot Leisure Centre has come under fire yet again with claims that four members of staff were injured as they were “forced” to manually remove a heavy swimming pool cover.

The LBO has been contacted this week by five separate sources, who all claim that the young employees were “ordered” to get into the pool and push back the covering because its electric motor had broken.

However, it has been alleged that the task meant all four of the staff members needed medical treatment, with one employee said to be off work for several weeks due to a broken collar bone following the incident on Saturday, October 6.

One source claimed to the LBO: “They were made to do it. They were put under pressure [to get the pool open on time for the public]. A broken collar bone is pretty serious. I think the staff member will be off for six to eight weeks.

“They should try and push for compensation. This isn’t the first incident - there have been incidents in the past.”

In June, the LBO reported on an investigation at the leisure centre, after a suspected chemical incident that happened in 2017 which is said to have resulted in two staff members being hospitalised.

Last month it was claimed that a defibrillator was locked away in a manager’s office while an elderly customer had a heart attack.

With regards to the latest incident, sources allege that no action has been taken.

Another source told the LBO: “You are looking at staff members who are no older than late teens to mid-twenties. I would question whether because of their age they can’t stand up to senior members of staff.”

A Central Bedfordshire Council spokeswoman, said: “We do take the health and safety of both our staff and the public very seriously, and we have already launched a full investigation into the alleged incident. We cannot comment further at this time, as the investigation is ongoing.”